NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met Latvia’s Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss next month’s NATO Summit in Ankara and the alliance’s deterrence and defence.
French fighter jets deployed under NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission intercepted and destroyed a drone that entered Latvia’s airspace earlier this month, the alliance pointed out in a statement.
“Such drone incidents on NATO’s eastern flank show Russia’s dangerous and reckless actions,” Rutte said, adding: “No Ally stands alone in NATO.”
Latvia’s defence spending and support for Ukraine
Latvia’s “core” defence spending is due to reach almost 5% of GDP this year, Rutte said, according to NATO.
Rutte also praised Latvia’s support for Ukraine, including its role in the International Drone Capability Coalition — a multinational effort focused on drone support for Ukraine.
“Increased defence investment, more defence production, and of course, our strong support for Ukraine” are among the priorities for the summit in Ankara next month, Rutte said.
